Solar Energy Pros and Cons

When it comes to choosing an alternative energy source for your home, solar energy is one that is gaining a lot of popularity. Although solar energy has been available for decades, it has only been recently that technical advancements, tax credits and other incentives have made this a viable, practical form of energy for the home.

However, there are a number of benefits and potential issues when installing solar panels to your home that will need to be considered first. The more information that you have, the better informed your decision will be when it comes to choosing solar energy.

Pros

Renewable Source of Energy: Every day the sun shines is a day that your home receives solar energy. In fact, even when it is cloudy light energy is striking the solar panels and providing free, renewable energy for your home.

Tax Credits: Installation costs are now somewhat offset by the tax credits you receive from federal and state governments. This means that solar energy is more affordable than ever and under most plans it will start paying for itself within five to ten years.

Safe: Solar panels are generally installed on the roof or some unused space and will not get in the way of you or your family. They are safe to use and only require a minimal amount of maintenance over time to run at peak efficiency.

Reduces Electrical Costs: During the day, solar energy is augmenting the electricity being sent to your home which means that your electricity bills are lowered. This is especially useful in the summertime when energy bills peak.

Silent: Solar provides clean, quiet power to your home unlike wind or certain other forms of energy. This means that you can enjoy the quiet and still get the power needed from the sun.

Cons

Unfortunately, even the benefits of solar power come with a cost that you will need to consider before adding it to your home.

Expense: While tax credits and installation incentive plans offset part of the initial cost, it is still somewhat expensive to add solar power to your home. You will need to have a considerable amount of money up front at least as a down payment before having it installed.

Intermittent Energy: Arguably the biggest issue with solar power is that it only provides electricity during the day which means that for the rest of the time you are drawing on the grid alone. Thus, it takes more time for the actual savings to start adding up.

Batteries: Since solar power can only occur when the sun is present, many solar panels comes with battery back-ups to store the energy for use at night. The acid used for the batteries may leak if the battery is not well made or if it is damaged.

While no power system is going to be perfect, it must be stated that the issues with solar power are generally minor and far exceeded by their benefits. If you have the space on your roof and want to lower your energy bills, then solar power is right for you.

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